Costuming apparatus.



E. E. HARTMANI COSTUMING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR-12.1918.

Patentedsept. 3, 1918 2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

INVEN OR a f wzwz I ATTORNEY E. E. HARTMAN, COSTUMING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 12 1918. I 1,2773%, Patented Sept. 3,1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ATTORNEY TED s'rarns PATENT OFFICE.

ELLES E. I-IARTMAN, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

COSTUMING APPARATUS.

To all whom it may concern:

' quires a quick change of costume. T of!- complish this result]? provide a frame arranged so that a garment, part cularly a dress, can be draped around same 1n such manner as to permit the artiste tostep into the garment or dress, after which she can apply the shoulder straps, or whatever ele ment the garment may be provided with, to retain it upon the body. The above is merely an outline of the invention, further details being hereinafter set forth.

I will now proceed to describe my invention in detail, the novel features of which I will point out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof, wherein- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my im- PIOVGClRPPfiIELtLIS, the upper portion of the standard being broken off;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view illustrating the standard folded for shipment or storage;

Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view of the ap{ paratus, the section being taken on a line 3-3 in Fig. 1; l

Fig. 4; is an' enlarged detail; view of the dress frame straightened out;

Fig. .5 is an enlargedfragmenitary detaill view, illustrating the releasable locking de vice for the dress-frame-members';

Fig. 6 is a similar view illustrating the means for separately connecting the dressframe-members when same are, to be assembled for use;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged. detail plan view'of the-dress frame arranged to receive a garment; and

Fig. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view illustrating the manner of detachably connecting the dress-frame to the legs of the standard;

My invention comprises a frame, which I will term a dress-frame, associated with a support arranged to retain a garment or Specification of LettersPatent. Patgn ted Sept, 3, 19-18, Application filed March 12, 191-8. Serial No. 222,001.

dress suspended in a partly collapsed .0011- dition. In other: words, the dress-frame and support cooperate to facilitate the operation of rapid dressing; To facilitate rapid dressing, I have arranged the apparatus so that a garment can be maintained in an:

open Or spread condition in order that the artiste can step into the garment, after which she oanapply the shoulder straps which are engaged by the support referred to.

After the garment has been applied to the body, or during the operation of applying same, the dress-frame may be opened to permit the artiste to walk away without having to step over the frame- The frame will be a low or narrow hoop or ring, which will rest upon the floor. The support, associated with the ring, will be slightly higher, but only sufficiently to maintain the shoulder portion of the garment off the floor within a convenient distance to enable the shoulder straps to be grasped.

' As herein illustrated, my invention com prises a standard 9 and an associated frame 10 which, when in use, will be in the form of a 11001) or ring. The ring 10 consists (in this instance) of two membersll' and 12 connected at their ends at 13 and 14: (Fig; 7),

the connection at 13 being permanent so long as the frame is in use. The connection "at 14 is a releasablelocking device arranged to be unlocked by being operated by a foot of the artiste while she,or her maid, is ap-' plying the garment after the artiste has stepped into the garment. Vhile the con preferably of thin resilient metal (spring steel for instance); hence, when them'embers 11 and 12 are connected at 13 and bowed to form a ring the said'members will be placed under tension, said ring formationbeing maintained by the releasable lock at 14:. When the connection at 14 is broken;

the frame-members '11 and 12 will spring. apart, as indicated by dotted lines Fig. 7,

thereby permitting the artiste to Walk away without having to step over the ring? The elements 11 and 12 carry brackets .15 and 16, respectively, provided with pins 17 (Fig. 8) to engage openings 18 in blocks 19 carried by the legs 20 and 21 ofthe standard 9. The brackets maintain the standard and frame in close relationship while the device is in use. The stand 9, in this instance, consists of a tubular pedestal 21 carrying a slidable post 22, the upper end of which may be provided with a looking-glass, for instance.

The pedestal 21 also carries a block'23 to which the legs 20, 21, and a third leg 241, are hinged at 25 (Fig. 2) and also arms 26 and 27 which are also hinged to the said block at 28. If desirable, the pedestal may be also provided with table or shelf-members 29 and 30 hinged thereto at 31. The above arrangement permits of a foldable structure (see Fig. 2) which can be packed in a trunk. When in use, the legs 20, 21, and 24 and arms 26 and 27 Will be spread as shown in Fig. 1, each arm being provided with a hanger 32 to receive the shoulder.

straps 33 of a garment 34 (see dotted lines Fig. 1).

While the artiste is performing, or before she dresses for her appearance, her maid will place a selected garment in position by placing same over or around the frame 10 and place the shoulder straps on the hangers, the ring or frame having of course been prepared.

To apply the costume, the artiste will step into the ring (see arrow 35, Fig. 1) and consequently into the garment which surrounds the frame. After she has stepped into the garment, she will take the shoulder straps off the hangers and slip them over her shoulders. This operation will raise the garment upwardly off the frame,-such garments being usually short. During the operation of applying the shoulder straps, the

artiste may place a foot on the springlatch-member. 36 of the locking device, thereby withdrawing the pin 37 out of the keeper 38, after which the frame-members will spring apart as indicated by dotted lines, Fig.7, permitting the now costumed artiste to walk away without stepping over the ring. 7

After the artiste has left for the stage, the maid will place another garment in position, after having again bowed the framemembers into the form of a ring and locked the same.

Theconnection 13 consists of two blocks 39 and 40 carried by the frame-member 12 (in this instance) and a block 41 carried by the frame-member 11, a pin 42 serving to connect the blocks, as shown in Fig. 6.

When the pin 42 is withdrawn, the mom-- bers 11 and 12 can be separated, after having withdrawn the pins 17 from the blocks 19 on the legs 20, 21. l/Vhen the frame-members are separated, they can be packed away with the folded standard. The ring 10 not only maintains a garment spread in order to allow the artiste to step into same, but also prevents the delicate portion of the garment from becoming injured by being stepped on. lVhile the artiste is standing within the ring, the ring will be located between the garment and her feet, and hence she cannot step on.the same.

lVhatI claim as my invention is:

1. In a costuming device, a plurality of normally straight resilient members, means to connect said members at one end thereof, and locking means at the opposite ends of said members arranged to be releasably engaged one with the other, whereby said members can be maintained in the form of a ring or hoop, all arranged as and for the purpose set forth. I

2. In a costuming device, a frameto maintain a dress in open condition, consisting of a strip of resilient material formed to tion of a garment, a frame at the lower end.

of the, standard arranged to, have draped thereabout a garment or dress, and means to releasably connect the standard and frame.

4;. In a costuming device, a support arrangedv to engage a garment at the shoulder portion thereof, and means associated with the support at its lower end arranged to maintain the body of the garmentin an open condition to permit the user of the garment to step thereinto.

5. In a costuming device, a normally closed circular hoop or ring of resilient material, releasable means to maintain same in circular formation, means to connect said ring to a suitable support, and means located above the ring to engage the shoulder portion of a garment.

6. A costuming device, comprising a standard, armsfoldably connected thereto, legs also foldably connected thereto, and a hoop releasably connected to the legs, as and for the purpose described.

Signed at New York city, N. Y., this 11th day ,of March, 1918.

ELLES E. HARTMAN. Witnesses:

MAURICE BLOCK,

EDWARD A. JARVIS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

I j 7 Washington, D.,G-" 

